Rotary shelf unit



April 22, 1958 J. B. CODY ROTARY SHELF UNIT FiledOct. 19, 1955 mam M a M H w m United States PatentO 2,831,582 ROTARY SHELF UNIT John B. Cody, Santa Cruz, Calif., assignor to Alfred J. Loboa, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Application October 19, 1955, Serial No. 541,418

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-146) This invention relates to, and it is a major object to provide, a rotary shelf unit, of Lazy-Susan type, adapted to be disposed in a cupboard for the reception of, and

all times to increase the effective length of said assembly,

whereby thepads bear positively at the ends in holding relation against said upper and lower fixed shelves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary shelf unit, as above, which includes a plurality of circular shelves which are not only mounted in a novel manner for free or non-binding revolving motion, but are also readily manually adjustable for selective vertical spacing.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a rotary shelf unit which is simple in structure and designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable rotary shelf unit, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of the rotary shelf unit as mounted in position in a cupboard; the cupboard door being shown open and partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the rotary shelf unit in use as in Fig. l; the view being. partly in section and partly broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the novel rotary shelf unit is indicated generally at 1, being adapted for use in a cupboard, indicated generally at 2, which includes a fixed upper shelf 3, a fixed lower shelf 4, andin the present disclosurea door 5 which is shown in-its open position.

The rotary shelf unit 1 comprises an extensible post assembly, indicated generally at 6, which assembly embodies a lower upstanding tube 7 into which an upper tube 8 is telescoped with a relatively close but slidable lit; the upper tube 8 projecting a substantial distance above the upper end of the lower tube 7, as well as telescoping into the latter sufiicient to permit of substantial vertical telescopic adjustment.

End plugs 9 and 10 of resilient material, such as rubber, are tightly engaged in the lower end portion of the tube 7 and the upper end portion of the tube 8, respectively. The end plugs 9 and 10 extend outwardly from 2 I the related ends of the corresponding tubes in the form of friction pads, indicated at 11 and 12, respectively.

A helical compression spring 13, always under load, is disposed in the lower tube 7 and engages between the end plug 9 and the lower end of the upper tube 8, thus always tending to urge said upper tube 8 in an upward direction.

An upper rotary shelf 14 and a lower rotary shelf 15 surround the lower tube 7 in vertically spaced relation, with the shelf 15 disposed a distance above the lower end of said tube7. As the rotary shelves 14 and 15 are of identical construction and mounting on the lower tube 7, a description of one will suflice for both.

The rotary shelves 14 and 15 are each of circular con figurationin plan, being formed with an upstanding peripheral flange 16 for the purpose of preventing objects on the shelf from falling olf when such shelf is revolved.

Each of the rotary shelves comprises a shelf-disc D which is formed with a central opening C defined by an upwardly projecting upper hub 17 and a downwardly projecting lower hub 18 disposed in vertically spaced relation; such hubs being fixed with the shelf by means of radially outwardly converging, annular flanges, the upper flange being indicated at 19 and the lower flange at 20. The flange 19 is integral with the rotary shelf, whereas the flange 20 is an initially separate part secured to said shelf by a circumferential row of rivets 21.

The hubs 17 and 18, which are integral with the flanges 19 and 20, are of the same inside diameter, and engage onthe lower tube 7 with a relativelyclose but t-urnable-- as well asaxially slidable-fit.

Each of the rotary shelvesis rotatably and vertically adjustably supported, at a selected position on the lower tube 7, by a collar 22 surrounding said tube and secured thereto in vertically adjustable relation by a thumb screw 23. The collar 22 is formed, at the upper end portion, with an inwardly and upwardly opening channel 24 in which the lower hub 18 engages in turnable relation; the upper edge of said collaroutwardly of the channel 24-bearing against the under side of the lower annular flange 20.

With this arrangement, including the hubs 17 and 18, and channeled collar 22, each shelf is rotatably supported at a selected position of vertical adjustment on the lower tube 7. By reason of the employment of the vertically spaced hubs 17 and 18, with the latter running in guided relation in the channeled collar 22, each shelf is effectively mounted for free rotation and yet without any wobbling action or binding on the lower tube 7 under the influence of the weight of the objects on the shelf. As will be seen from the drawing, each annular flange 20 includes a horizontal ledge L at the base, which projects radially out from the upper end of hub 18, and a portion P sloping thence upwardly and radially out of the shelf-disc D. This ledge is directly engaged by the upper edge of the collar 22 in supporting relation, so

that no load is placed on the hub itself, which-being of sheet metal-is quite thin.

The above described rotary shelf is installed, in a cup-.

board 2, in the following manner:

Firstly, the upper tube 8 is manually pressed downwardly into the lower tube 7 and against the compression of spring 13 until the over-all height of the post assembly 6 is less than the distance between. the shelves 3 and 4 of the cupboard. Thereafter, with the upper tube 8 still held in a depressed position the rotary shelf unit 1 is placed in the cupboard in the position it is intended to occupy. Nextly, the upper tube is released from the hand and it slides upwardly under the action of the compression spring 13, resulting in the friction pads 11 and 12 of the end plugs 9 and 10, respectively, being forcefully engaged against the adjacent surfaces of the shelves 3 and 4. As a result, and with the spring 13 always under 2,831,582 Pitented Apr. 22,1958

load, the pads 11 and 12 irictionally grip or bind against the shelves 3 and 4 so that the rotary shelf unit there after is maintained in position, with the shelves 14 and 15-f reeto be-rotated' by, handabout the lower-tube 7 for the purpose of gaining easy access to the,objects,'- indicated generally at 25, on said shelves.

The described rotary shelf unit therefore provides a very practical and useful device'of multiple'shelf, Lazy Susan type, for installation in a kitchen'cupboard or the like to support objects, such as containers of spice, for convenient access.

Preferably, the majcrparts of the rotaryshelf unit, such as-th'etubes and rotary shelves, are formed of-light weight metal, such as aluminum. t

From the foregoingdescription it will be readily-seen that there has been produced-such a'deviceaswillsubstantially fulfill'the objects of the invention,--as set-forth herein. While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of-the device, still in practice such deviations fIOl'n such detail may be resorted-teas do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having-thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Pat- -ent are desired:

1. In a rotary shelf unit which includes astationary cylindrical post, a rotary shelf surrounding the post and having a central opening about the post, and means mounting the shelf on the post for revolvingthereabout; said means including a relatively thin hub depending from the shelf and engaging the post in turnable relation, means connecting the hub and shelf and including a horizontal annular ledge projecting radially out from the upperend of the hub, and a collar securedon the post below the hub and havinga channel into which the hub projects with a relatively close running fit; the upper edge of the collar about the channel engaging the ledge in supporting relation.

2. In a rotary shelf unit which includes a stationary cylindrical post, a rotary' shelf surrounding the post and having a central opening about -'the post, and means mounting the shelf on the post for revolving thereabout; said means including a-relativelydhinhub 'depending from the shelf and engaging'thepost in turnable relation, v q l en a ns an ta iust b y \zsecure i the post below the hub, and an annular flange rigid with and extending radially-"out from-the-upper end of the hub and connected to the shelf, said flange including a horizontal annular ledge about the hub and said flange sloping thence upwardly and radially out to theshelf; the upper end; portion of; the collar surrounding the hub and-the upper edge of'the collar engaging said ledge in supporting-relation.

References Cited in theffile of this patent UNITED STATES :PATENTS 

